When Justyn and Rebecca set off for the New York School of Performing Arts, they think their dreams are about to come true. To their dismay, they aren’t in high... school anymore, and the competition is steep. Rebecca must compete against accomplished singers for a role in the production of Demon Barber, including a stunning Gothic diva with her sights set on Justyn.

It doesn't help that things keep disappearing from their apartment or that Rebecca's father refuses to accept that Justyn is an essential part of her life. Yet, all this seems minimal in comparison to the serial rapist terrorizing the campus.

Consumed by fear and obsessed with revenge, Rebecca and Justyn start living the story of Sweeney Todd—both on and off the stage.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Beam Me Up Scotty!

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always loved sci-fi. As
a kid, I was fascinated by all the futuristic Tec and gadgets they would use.
Especially on shows like “Doctor Who” & “Star Trek”. I grew up with such
shows, and often wondered if the science fiction of the past would ever become
the science fact of today.

Looking back, I can see how we’re gradually creeping closer
to the sci-tec of "Star Trek" every day. Think about it. We now have
things like ‘swishy doors’ and hypo sprays. If you think that’s great, Scientists
are now announcing they've been able to teleport special bits of light from one
place to another, in a "Beam me up, Scotty" fashion.

Now, don’t get me wrong. We’re not talking about zapping
people around the world...yet. But we might be starting to dip our toes in the
pond! While I’ve been fortunate enough to gain some pretty decent
qualifications in physics and astronomy myself, I’m not into big words. They
send me to sleep! So, I’ll try to put this in a way that prevents an
involuntary coma.

The scientist I referred to above were able to make use
of some pretty quirky aspects of physics. The teleportation they’re referring
to takes advantage of an oddity of quantum physics called ‘entanglement’.
Basically, two particles can be bonded so that even when separated by large
distances, they continue to communicate instantly. Thus–because of this quirky
link–what happens to one particle, affects the other, despite the distance!

Cool!

To teleport the light, researchers led by Noriyuki Lee of
the University of Tokyo had to destroy it in one place, and re-create it in
another. This mirrors the teleportation process employed on "Star Trek".
Eg, where their futuristic transporters scan a person atom by atom, dismantle
him, store his pattern in a buffer and then rebuild the person by configuring a
different set of atoms in exactly the same pattern in another place.

Lee and his team accomplished this by linking a packet of
light to one half of a pair of entangled particles mentioned above. They then
destroyed the light packet and the particle it was linked to, leaving only the other
half of the entangled pair. The remaining ‘half’ retained the link with its
entangled partner, and ‘gained’ information about the light packet to which its
partner had been linked. That enabled the researchers to rebuild the light in
the exact configuration at the other location.

Super cool!

But it’s still a long way off “Star Trek”, because
remember, quantum teleportation is not the same as
the teleportation most of us know from science fiction, where a person in one
place is “beamed up” to another place where a perfect copy is then replicated.
In quantum teleportation two photons or ions (for example) are entangled in
such a way that when the quantum state of one is changed the state of the other
also changes, as if the two were still connected.

In
effect, we’re still playing or learning to manage the quantum world.
Transporting people is a long, long way off. BUT – it’s a step in the right
direction. Only a few years ago
these ‘new facts’ were just ideas! Now they are turning into experimental
realities where other applications are helping physicists make the science
fiction of today, the science fact of tomorrow.

Thankfully, we still have time, which is perhaps just as
well. Why?

Consider the wider implications, or as I like to call
them, the ‘what ifs’.

As technology advances, what might happen if continued experimentation raises philisophical issues as to whether destroying a person in one place and recreating a copy elsewhere provides sufficient 'experience of continuity' to class them as the same person.

What if society comes to view that reassembled human as a different entity entirely?

Okay, they have the same memories, characteristics and traits. But would they seek to place restrictions upon such an individual?

Would they class such a person as a clone, especially if an adaptation of the procedure might result in the constructing of, not just one, but several copies of the original? Would certain parties seek to look on a 'reproduction' as a source for spare parts?

How unique would each copy be, especially as current experiments use 'new' matter/atoms to reconstruct the pattern of the original.

Hurts the mind doesn't it? I'm glad I wouldn't be involved in having to work things out.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Something For The Weekend?

In a series of terrifying
events, otherworldly beings intervene to save innocent lives. The world community reacts with relief as they realize that guardian angels may in fact exist, and they are diligently protecting us.
But there are those who would seek to stop what they feel is a threat against their livelihoods. How far will some go to battle the Guardians? Is the fairy tale over before it even begins?
Guardian Angels is a powerful and compelling story about the catalyst that has the power to unite society in the hope for a better future.
The spark of hope is fragile—can it last?

Once every few hundred
years, the Blood-Moon rises on an unsuspecting world. When it does—the very
stuff of myth and legend comes to life. He was sixth generation military, his
path laid before him by his family. To secure his spot in the elite British
Special Forces he found himself up against one of the harshest environments
known to man.

It is here that he will face an ancient horror.
What do you think might happen when nightmare becomes reality?

For the third year running a ritualistic serial killer has struck in the week leadingup to Halloween, leaving a gruesome and bloody trail in his wake.
It’s thesame every year. One murder a day, every day, until his quotient of seven hasbeen reached. Butchery just does not describe what happens to those unfortunate enough to fall into his clutches. Then he vanishes – only to return twelvemonths later as merciless as ever.
The killer appears to strike randomly and at will. As such, the detective leading the case is no closer to discovering the identity of the ruthless predator than he was when the slayings began.
Neither can it be established exactly how the killer selects his victims, or indeed why.
It’s only when the detective gets an unexpected break that things get interesting…

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Karma

I’m sure we’ve all heard
that saying. Others may refer to it as Karma, a transcendent form of ‘cause
& effect’.

The way you treat others
will eventually come back and reflect on you.

As authors, it’s a good
idea to remember that.

Yes, we put a great deal
of work into our projects. It takes time and effort to produce something worthy
of being published. We obviously want it to do well, and are keen to establish
the contacts that will get our stories out there and into readers’ hands...

...But, do we sometimes
forget our fellow authors? In the sense of helping them promote their books? I know some might feel
reticent about ‘pushing sales’ the way of another author. After all, aren’t
they on the other side? A competitor? An
opponent?

Well, in a sense...yes
they are. But thankfully, this isn’t the Hunger Games with just one winner. The
odds are definitely in our favour. How can we be so sure? Just look at the
thousands, upon thousands of stories on the shelves out there...and all so
refreshingly different!

Variety certainly is the
spice of life.

Sometimes we forget that!

Think of it like food.

I’ve got to say, my favourite
food is chicken. But, if I only ate chicken, all day and every day, I’d soon
get sick of it. So, I vary my diet. That diet includes other preference
foods...fish, salads, vegetables, and so on.

Now apply that to the food
for our souls. The nourishment we feed and stimulate our minds with. Our
imagination needs a healthy variety too!

Your ‘competitor’s’ reader isn’t just going to buy one book. They’ll
want more! Yes, they may have their favourite, ‘flavour’, but they’ll enjoy variety too. When they’ve finished a good
story, they’ll simply go and find another to read...and this time, it might be
one of yours!

I regularly tweet/advertise
for other authors. True, most write in much the same genre as I do. However, that
doesn't scare me at all, because I know that once the reader has finished their
book they might go looking for recommendations from that author, and that leads
them to me.

Tastes vary from time to time. Who
knows, doing this more regularly may help us become someone else’s favourite for
a while. As the years pass, we may even stay on their list of preference foods.

I can only speak from personal
experience. As a youngster, I was an avid sci-fi fan. Everything else was
boring. But, as time passed, my tastes widened. I grew to love fantasy,
paranormal, action adventure, thrillers, and biographies. Some of those genres were actually recommended
by the authors I read.

So, back to ‘Cause and effect’. It is said,
“Your actions determine your karma.”

If it’s not something you do, try it.
Cast your efforts ‘out there’ and see what comes back. No, most of the time it
won’t return as fast as we would like, or perhaps in the specific way we would
prefer. But...return it will.

...And who knows what a right word, at
the right time, in the right place might accomplish?

My latest Blog for Astronaut.com

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The World of The IX Series

About Me

I am a Royal Marine and Police veteran from the UK who now lives on the beautiful Greek island of Kos with my wife, Annette, and our growing family of rescue cats.
As creator of the critically acclaimed IX Series, and Hell Bound & Hell Hounds, (novels forming part of Janet Morris' Heroes in Hell universe), I also have the privilege of being a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the British Fantasy Society, and the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers.
When not working, I devote some of my spare time to assisting NASA with one of their remote research projects, and supporting charities. I also write educational articles for Astronaut.com and Amazing Stories.
On weekends, you might also find me drinking Earl Grey Tea whilst dressed as Captain Jean Luc Picard.
Make it so...
If you would like to find out more, just follow the links at the top of the page.

The Future of Science Fiction

The IX Series

The Senate & The People of Rome

The IX

International #1 Bestseller

The IX

The IX, an epic novel spanning past, present, and future:The ultimatum:Fight or die.Roman legionnaires, far from home, lost in the mists of Caledonia; a US cavalry company on a special mission for Presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln; and a Special Forces unit from the 21st century, desperate to prevent nuclear catastrophe:Snatched away from Earth at the moment of death to a failing planet far away, these misfit soldiers must unite against a relentless foe, where the cost of victory may be more than they're willing to pay. How far will they go to stay alive?From Perseid Press.

Exordium of Tears

Book 2 of The IX Series

Exordium of Tears

Fight or die.That simple yet brutal reality is the tenet by which the refugees from Earth – including the fabled lost 9th Legion of Rome; the 5th Company, 2nd Mounted Cavalry Unit; and the Special Forces Anti-Terrorist Team – were forced to live by while the Horde menace existed. Believing that the threat is over, thesurvivors now yearn to settle down, start families, and reclaim the lives stolen from them.But such aspirations might remain beyond their reach, for a shadow looms on the rose-tinted horizon of new beginnings.The release of the re-genesis matrix has done much to foster a restoration of exuberance across Arden. Along with a resurgence in floral and faunal diversity comes the results of splicing the Ardenese and human genomes: transmutation. Ametamorphosis of stunning magnitude that not only affects the living, but those still is stasis as well.Recognizing the emergence of a new hybrid species, the Architect – the arcane AI construct tasked with the preservation of the Ardenese race – responds by unlockingpreviously hidden and inaccessible areas of the city. It also releases an archive of sealed state secrets. Such revelations are eagerly perused, whereupon a shocking discovery is made.Prior to the fall, it was common knowledge amongst the Senatum (the highest levels of Arden’s government) that not all the rabid Horde had joined in the rampage across the stars toward Arden.Realizing that the peril still exists, the newly reformed administration elects to respond in earnest. Existing resources are utilized, suitable candidates are chosen, and a flotilla of ships is sent out to secure, quarantine, and reclaim the outer colonies. A mammoth and hazardous undertaking. And nowhere more so than at the planet from where the outbreak was known to have originated – Exordium – for there, the ancient Horde are not only supremely evolved and highly organized, but are capable of a level of lethal sophistication, the likes of which has never been witnessed before.It is into this kiln of incendiary potential that the cream of Arden’s fighting forces is deployed.Worlds are torn asunder, suns destroyed, and star systems obliterated. Yes, tragedy is forged, in a universe spanning conflict which proves once again that…

Death is onlythe beginning of the adventure.

Prelude to Sorrow

The IX Series

Prelude to Sorrow

The task force dispatched from Arden to eradicate the Horde menace failed, and for those few left alive, the tenet by which they have survived for so long resounds as never before.

Fight or Die!

Now marooned, out of time and out of place, the survivors lick their wounds and struggle to recover while the Horde gather their strength for a final strike that will change the course of history forever. The fate of the galaxy – and more – hangs in the balance.

But fate, it seems, isn’t done with the Ninth, and our heroes find themselves forced to mount a last-ditch attempt to end the threat once and for all.

Will the darkness be vanquished, or will our heroes’ efforts finally signal the beginning of the end of their adventure?

The Glorious Ninth

Fight or Die!

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Fire Asylum Admissions

Welcome to the Fire Asylum. This is truly a safe place for what the world contends is insane behavior. The activities here are specifically designed with the firefighter in mind. Your training here, or treatment, may seem tough and challenging. Remember that it is for your own good. Here are a few words from our director of activities to inspire your stay.

"In our silent crucible, we are tested by fire. In that place where life can and does change forever, peace is given like a gift to the ones who have endured."

Hell Bound

International #1 Bestseller

Hell Bound

In hell, none of the condemned believes they deserve to be there. And that’s fine, so long as they’re not foolish enough to try and do anything about it. For those that do, there’s always Satan’s Reaper–and chief bounty hunter–Daemon Grim.Feared throughout the many layers of the underverse, no one in their right mind dares to cross him.However, when Grim discovers that someone has attempted to evade injustice, and seems hell-bent on gaining access to ancient angelic artifacts proscribed since the time of the original rebellion in heaven, circumstances point to the fact they may be doing just that.The question is...why?Thus begins an investigation that leads Grim throughout the many contradictory and baffling levels of the underworld, where he unearths a conspiracy that is not only eating its way like a cancer through the highest echelons of Hellion society,but one which threatens the very stability of Satan’s rule.

As you can imagine, Grim’s response is bloody, brutal, and despicably wicked.

Pieces of Hate******************It's sink or swim in this swashbuckling adventure where Daemon Grim, Satan's Reaper, is sent on a quest to recover booty of great value to His Infernal Majesty.But what lurks at the center of Skull Island? Is it truly treasure, or will there be fools gold aplenty in a tale that proves once and for all that, when it comes to burying something in your chest, blood money is the only currency the Reaper recognizes.

Hell Hounds

Coming October 31st

Hell Hounds

Feared throughout the many circles of the underworld, Satan’s Reaper – and chief bounty hunter – Daemon Grim, is known as a true force to be reckoned with.

Having eliminated a major player in the uprising eating its way like a cancer through the underbelly of hell, Grim is stunned to discover he cannot afford to rest on his laurels, for the rebellion runs far deeper than was ever imagined. New players have emerged – denizens with uncanny abilities – who seem determined to support Chopin and Tesla’s revolutionary agenda.

Ever keen to test their mettle, the Sibitti – personified weapons of the ancient Babylonian plague god, Erra – also appear eager to capitalize on the growing unrest, and set about maneuvering events in order to place themselves in direct opposition to Grim’s investigation.

And if that was not cause for concern enough, there’s an insane angel on the loose, a creature as hell-bent on creating havoc as he is to return home.

How do Grim and his rabid pack of bounty hunters respond?

Baying for blood – doesn’t even begin to describe it.

The Perseid Press

Black Gate Fantasy

Amazing Stories

Watch out Hugo Awards - the best 'Fanzine' in the world is back. There's a new 'old' kid on the block

Other Works

You can find more of my work in the following magazines or publications.